Thanksgiving with Musaki's Relatives
by Animation Universe 2005
Summary: A Thanksgiving fic! Musaki goes off to Shanghai Secluded Valley to celebrated thanksgiving with his relatives for the first time! Enjoy and happy thanksgiving!
1. The Invitation

Decided to do a Thanksgiving fic...mostly because Musaki has never celebrated it before and the opportunity comes with him celebrating it with his relatives along with Arizona, Ruiz, Shing, Kazuo and Zeke. Hope ya'll like!

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><p>Thanksgiving with Musaki's Relatives<p>

by: Terrell James

Chapter 1: Invitation

It was a clear afternoon at the Jade palace and at the courtyard, near the Training Hall, Shifu goes through some yoga with Arizona and Musaki, teaching them his version of the technique. So far, Musaki's got a lot of progress into it and he excels better than his own, but Arizona still has a long way to go with Shifu's yoga. He keeps holding his foot, but is struggling to stay balanced throughout. He keeps grunting and straining to keep himself steady and he muttered under his breath, "And I thought that yours was so much easier."

Musaki grunts in effort as he stretched his back against the air and he looked at him and added, "It's kinda the same thing as my own. Seems kinda easier for me."

Arizona tries to keep his balance straightened, but he ends up falling down and landing on his butt. He groans in frustration, stands up and he told him, "At least one thing stays the same-falling down on my butt more than once."

Musaki rolled his eyes on that comment and he told him, "At least be able to keep your balance."

Shifu turned to Arizona and sees that he really is struggling to do his version of Shifu's yoga and he adds, "I see you're having trouble with my yoga."

Arizona chuckled nerviusly about that and he said, "It's just that...I'm used to Musaki's yoga and yours is kinda...what's the word I'm looking for?-difficult to learn."

Shifu could see his point, but he assured him that it's the same as Musaki's way of doing so. Arizona tries it again and he's trying his best not to suck at it and within a few minutes, he almost got it and Musaki could see that he got this down pat. He chuckled softly and he said, "And it only took 20 minutes."

Shifu looks at both of them and he complimented on their efforts and tells Arizona that he still needs to work on his yoga skills, which he understood perfectly. He takes a deep exhale and scratched his spiky mohawk and told him, "I guess that was a good exercise, but I do feel at peace."

All of a sudden, a voice came out of nowhere and shouts, "Master Shifu, an important message from someone named Xing-Fu!"

Shifu and the others-except for Musaki-seemed confused on who Xing-Fu is. Po stood up, looking extremely dim about who it might be and he looked at everyone else and asked, "Does anyone know a Xing-Fu here?"

Arizona was the one that didn't seem to get the whole gist of it and he replied, "I don't think I've heard of that name before."

Zeng landed on the ground, panting heavily and he said, "That's funny. I thought for sure he'd be here by now."

Shifu went over to him, looks at the scroll and he added, "Where did you get this from?"

Zeng took a look at where the location is and he answered, "It's from a place I've never heard of before-from Shanghai Secluded Valley."

Musaki immediately knew about that location because it was his relatives' home and he quickly went over to Zeng and said, "If it's from Shanghai Secluded Valley, it must be from me."

Zeng hands the scroll to him, with his beak dropped open and he asked in a shocked expression, "Y-Y-You're Xing-Fu?"

Musaki nodded his head and Arizona seemed kinda confused and in disbelief by that and he said, "I thought Musaki was your only name."

"Well, that's part of my birth name but you haven't heard the rest of my full name; Xing-Fu Musaki Ko-Kanji Bushido Akio-Meng Cheng Xi-Wang."

Everyone's mouth was gaped open in shock as Musaki gave out his entire name and Arizona was the most surprised and shocked as ever because he did not know he had such a longer birth name and he said, "That's a mouthfull."

"It consists of both Chinese and Japanese descent, because I'm kinda part Japanese and part Chinese at the same time. I kinda forgot about my entire full name until just a few months ago when I was searching for who I really am and where I came from and who my parents were." Musaki explained.

Musaki opens up the scroll and he began reading on what it consists of the message and he said, "Xing-Fu, how have you been? Are you a kung-fu master yet? I am writing you this message to invite you and Zeke to come over to my village for a Thanksgiving holiday with us. All of us were really excited that you were still alive that we decided to invite you over to Shanghai Secluded Valley for that little celebration and to see your entire relatives, most of which are dying to meet you. On your last visit, you've met most of them, but not all. Now is the perfect time to meet them face to face for this special occasion. You can bring a few guests if you'd like because the minute they come, they're automatically a part of us as a whole. Your uncle Mako and all of your cousins are invited to come as well and we cannot wait to see you. Oak Sung."

Arizona looked at the scroll and then he asked, "Who's Oak Sung?"

"The most wisest philosopher in the entire Valley...and my grandfather." Musaki answered.

That reaction shocked Arizona to the core and he never mentioned that to him before and he asked, "You have a grandfather?"

"Yeah. I lost a few memories of him after my parents died, but have since been regained back in my brain. As did my relatives and I guess I wanted to find out what my parents were like and who they were, I guess I did some soul-searching one day and actually went there with Po, Shifu and the Five and we met my relatives, some of my dad's old friends and my other cousins." Musaki explained.

Arizona seemed a little curious about that and then in a quick twist, Musaki turned to him and asked, "Would you wanna come and see my family?"

The young wolf was a little hesitant about seeing Musaki's relatives and he said, "I don't know, Saki. Are you sure they'd be cool with it?"

"Dude, you're the guest. They said to bring a few guests and me and Zeke will take you, Kazuo, Shing and Ruiz with us so you can see what it's like there."

Shifu and the others felt like it's a good time as any for them to see Musaki's relatives despite Arizona's hesitations and he told them, "Musaki's correct, Arizona. You have to see the aspect of what it's like to see what makes Musaki special and to meet his family for the first time."

"But...what about you guys?" asked Arizona.

"We'll be just fine." Shifu said, with a chuckle.

Soon enough, Shing went outside to get some fresh air and sees Musaki and the gang standing there and he said, "What's up, guys?"

"Not much." Musaki replied.

"What's this I hear about Musaki having relatives?"

"My grandfather invited me and Zeke to a little Thanksgiving family tradition in Shanghai Secluded Valley. You, Arizona, Kazuo and Ruiz are invited."

Hearing this, Shing was very amped up about this and he asked, "You have more relatives? We'd love to go."

Musaki turned to Arizona and he assured them that it'll be a great place and he said, "My old home has more species rather than us pandas. It has rhinos, monkeys, tigers and wolves."

Arizona lightened up a little when he heard that there were wolves loving there and he asked, "Are they cool?"

"Most definitely. Who knows, you might meet one that you'll want as your friend...in your species."

Arizona nodded his head a little and he looked at the others and he asked, "Is it cool if I go?"

"Absolutely." Shifu answered.

That brightened Arizona up as he let out a chuckle and said, "I guess I'm invited."

"Awesome. We pretty much leave tomorrow." Musaki added.

"Tomorrow?" Shing and Arizona asked, in unison.

"Yeah, but if you like, the six of us can spend the night at Uncle Mako's house and we go with them to Shanghai Secluded Valley."

"Sounds good to me...and I can't wait to see Max." Arizona said, with joy coming out of him.

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><p>Not much, but I'd say it's a good start. There will be more coming up!<p> 


	2. Hanging with the Cousins

Nothing like hanging with ya cousins before you go to celebrate Thanksgiving with the rest of the relatives.

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><p>Chapter 2: Hanging with the Cousins<p>

Hours later, Musaki and Zeke packed up most of their things to head over to both Uncle Mako's and to Shanghai Secluded Valley for Thanksgiving, knowing that this is their first time celebrating that holiday, which adds to their excitement. Zeke chuckled softly and he said, "I can't believe that we're gonna celebrate Thanksgiving with our grandparents."

Musaki seemed very excited about this and he said, in a playful tone, "I know. Isn't that awesome?"

Zeke chuckled and he felt a huge amount of excitement coming out of him knowing that he's never experience thanksgiving his whole life and he said, "I've never actually celebrated that holiday before."

"Neither do I. I've never quite got to see what it's like to celebrate thanksgiving, though I do know it's a day to be thankful for everything we have and for the people in our lives." Musaki added.

Zeke looked at Musaki and he said, "I've never looked at it that way."

"Well, the cool thing is that we have each other. That's what I'm grateful for."

Zeke smiled at that comment and it made him feel like he's being honored to have Musaki as his brother and he said, "If anything, I'm thankful to have you as my brother."

"Same here."

Minutes later, Arizona got most of his things together, as did Ruiz, Shing and Kazuo as they were set for the journey ahead of them. Musaki could see that he's packed up a lot of things and he chuckled, saying, "That's a lot of stuff to pack up, isn't it?"

Arizona glared at Musaki at that comment and he told him, "Well, it's a big journey so I thought that it might be best if I pack a little more."

Kazuo scoffs at that comment and he said, "A little more is an understatement."

"Ah, come on, dude."

Ruiz rolled his eyes and he told Arizona, "Well, the important thing is that we're so ready for this holiday...albeit this is the first time I've ever celebrated this before."

Musaki smiled at Ruiz and he said, "After this holiday, you'll start to see an awesome perspective in what my family does."

"I guess so." Ruiz answered, in an unconfident tone.

Musaki could sense that Ruiz is a little worried about meeting his relatives, as is the rest of the crew and he wants to do anything he can to make sure that it'll be the best holiday ever. Suddenly, Shifu comes in the hallway and he said, "I see you're all ready for your trip?"

"Yes, we are." Musaki answered.

Shifu chuckled softly and he said, "Now make sure you come back home safely and be on your best behavior, understood?"

"We will, master."

Shifu smiled at them at the fact that they were gonna celebrate an experience with his relatives and he told him, "Musaki, have a great time."

"Thanks."

Immediately after, they left the palace and headed towards the village in the Valley and they reached Mako's place and to their surprise, Max was standing on the door waiting for them to come and he immediately ran out of the steps and hugged Arizona tightly. He hugged him back as well and he asked, "How ya doing, little guy?"

Max chuckled softly and replied, "Great. You guys are going to the thanksgiving thing?"

Arizona chuckled and replied, "Yeah, we are."

"That's great."

Max brought them in and they were greeted by the others and Mako as well. he hugged all of them and he was starting to feel really excited about the Thanksgiving gathering and he asked, "You guys excited for thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, just about." Zeke replied.

"Cool. We'll leave pretty much tomorrow and you guys are welcome in our old hometown of Shanghai Secluded Valley." Mako answered.

Musaki chuckled softly and he said, "We're really looking forward to it, unc."

As the hours passed by, Cody, Tsunami, Phoenix, Max and Samurai mostly hung out with Musaki and the rest talking about stuff and funny memories. Musaki was laughing hysterically and he asked, "Seriously? Did that happen?"

Phoenix guffawed loudly and said, "It was bananas! You should've seen it, Samurai totally ripped his pants when he was trying to impress a girl, by doing the splits."

Samurai was a little embarassed by that memory and he let out a slight blush and he said, "How was I supposed to know that would happen?"

"Dude, you were totally oblivious by it. The girl like saw the rip on the back of your pants and just walked off thinking she doesn't like goofy guys." Phoenix added, laughing.

"It's a good thing you had Tsunami to fix it for ya." Cody said, holding his laughter.

"And I still can't get over the fact that you had to tell the others this story."

Tsunami rolled his eyes and let out a chuckle and he said, "It's not my fault I had to spill the beans."

As they were talking, Arizona and Ruiz were just amongst themselves, thinking about what Musaki's relatives would be like, knowing that he;s never mentioned it to them before and Max noticed them being a little nervous and he asked, "You guys okay?"

That brought their attention and Arizona answered, "We're fine. It's just...we're a little nervous about something."

"About what?" asked Phoenix.

Arizona took a deep breath and he said, "Well...Musaki's never told us that he has relatives and I'm not sure how they'll be fond of us."

Phoenix could understand their nervousness and he said, "They're really nice people. Shanghai Secluded Valley is pretty much like here, minus the rabbits, ducks and pigs and sheep, but it's a really vibrant and peaceful town where people treat you like family there."

"Are you sure?" asked Ruiz, apprehensively.

"Positive."

"Have you guys ever celebrated Thanksgiving before?" asked Samurai.

All of them said 'no', which surprised all of them except for Max and Cody explained to them, "Thanksgiving is a special holiday to spend time with people you care about and to be thankful for the people you're sharing it with. It's definitely an awesome thing to celebrate and it makes you feel like you're welcome."

Musaki totally feels like this could be a great week after all and he said, "I'm really looking forward to this."

"I know you are because my dad told me you should experience what it's like and the entire Valley is eager to share this festive holiday with you." Tsunami added.

"Has Max celebrated thanksgiving?" asked Ruiz.

Cody looks at Max and he replied, "Nah, he's never had a thanksgiving before just like you guys. Neither does Gabe and Marcus, so we're gonna give them what it's like there."

Ruiz was still a little nervous and Arizona seemed a bit confident about this and Ruiz said, "I hope so."

"Hey, don't worry. It'll be really awesome. I promise you guys by tomorrow, this will all be super-cool."

Those kind of words let Arizona feel like he's gonna be able to enjoy Thanksgiving for the first time, mostly because he has Musaki by his side and everyone else carries on talking and laughing and that feeling made both Ruiz and Arizona a part of their family as well as they can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

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><p>Tomorrow...they're off to Shanghai Secluded Valley. Wonder how that will be?<p> 


	3. We're Here!

And on they go to the Valley they go!

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><p>Chapter 3: We're Here!<p>

As morning comes, everyone gets themselves ready to head for Shanghai Secluded Valley to celebrate Thanksgiving there and for the first time in Arizona's life, it's like he could savor this moment, but is totally unsure about what he might expect to meet Musaki's relatives in person. While everyone was getting prepped up, Arizona sat on the steps feeling like there's a knot around his stomach for this experience he's having and he keeps wondering what are they like and how will they react when they meet him.

Musaki came out of the room and he sees Arizona sitting there and he said, "I've been looking for ya."

Arizona didn't turn around, but he replied, "Well, ya found me."

Musaki decided to sit down next to him because he knew something was up with him and he asked, "Still nervous?"

Arizona let out a heavy sigh and he scratched his back and replied, "Definitely. What if...what if your relatives don't like me?"

Musaki sighed heavily at that question and he answered, "They will. What makes you think they won't?"

Arizona was ashamed to tell him about his reason for that statement he told him and he replied, "About my past."

That heavy subject troubled Arizona completely and he didn't know how to tell some of his relatives about it because he fears that they might reject him. Musaki puts his paw on his shoulder and he said, "They're really good people there. WHatever problem you have, they'll be the ones to help you get over it. I know it's really hard for you, but you'll have to trust them."

It kinda helped him a little and he didn't want his nervousness get in the way of seeing what Thanksgiving is really like and with Musaki around, he knows that he can overcome his fear and replace it with confidence.

He looks at Musaki and said, "I hope you're right."

Minutes later, Tsunami, Phoenix, Ruiz and Max went outside and they met up with Musaki and Arizona, just talking to each other and Phoenix asked, "What's up?"

Arizona chuckled softly and he stood up for a minute and replied, "I'm just...still freaking out that this is happening."

Phoenix went over to him and he said, "You'll love this place. I guarantee you it's unlike anything you've seen before."

"You want to celebrate Thanksgiving, do ya?" asked Tsunami.

"More than anything." Arizona replied.

"Trust us. You guys will be astounded by the beauty of Shanghai Valley."

"I guess you're right."

Not long after, everyone got ready and the minute they departed from the Valley of Peace, Mako had some other ideas about traveling the way to Shanghai Secluded Valley. As soon as they reached a forest, he let out a loud whistle and everyone heard a rumbling sound out of nowhere and within a few seconds...out comes the dragons heading their way.

When they landed, Arizona's jaw completely dropped when they saw actual dragons dropping by. Mako came to them and petted them and Ruiz asked, "Are those dragons?"

"Yep. They're our traveling dragons." Mako answered.

"You're kidding."

"Nope, we actually own them." Cody answered.

"That's amazing."

Everyone got onboard with them and Shing, Kazuo, Ruiz and Arizona were totally apprehensive about taking a flight with them and Musaki told them, "You guys coming or what?"

"Is it safe?" asked Shing.

"Duh! Of course it is. They won't bite."

Shing was reluctant to pet them, but when he put his paw on it's leg, the dragon let out a huge sigh and he could see that it's a gentle soul. With that, Shing and Kazuo got on one and Ruiz and Arizona went on another one with Musaki and Zeke.

Ruiz became very nervous about this and he could see that he's getting higher up there and he said, "I hope we don't fall off."

Mako looked at them and he answered, "Don't worry about it. Just hold tight."

As soon as Mako commanded the dragons to go up, their wings stretched for and off they went. They went high in the sky and everyone was thrilled for this. Arizona and Ruiz were freaking out because they never expected to go all the way up.

Arizona looked down and he sees that they're flying up 100 feet in the air and he said, "This is getting scary!"

"Dude, it's fun! Enjoy the ride of your life!" Musaki exclaimed.

Arizona looked up at the clouds and he felt the wind on his fur and it's like he's really enjoying this. He chuckled softly and opens his arms out to feel like he's in the air. Musaki could see that he's enjoying this and told him, "What did I tell ya?"

"You're right. This is freakin' awesome!" Arizona exclaimed.

Mako lets out a hearty laugh and he said, "Ya see what I mean?" It's one experience you'll definitely remember for the rest of your life."

Arizona looked back and sees Musaki's cousins enjoying themselves and he never realized that this was something he would've never done before and it definitely took his breath away.

Minutes later, they seek a few mountains coming in and on those mountains are two pandas waving at them. Musaki quickly noticed who they are and he said, "Those are my grandparents!"

They landed on the ground and Musaki quickly got out of there, ran to them and gave them a huge hug. Oak Sung looked at him and he asked, "How's my grandson?"

"Doing great. You?"

"Better now that you're here."

Mako came behind them and he hugged his parents as did his kids came in and embraced their grandparents. Arizona got down from the dragon and he sees this coming in and he asked Musaki, "This is it, huh?"

"Yep. Welcome to Shanghai Secluded Valley." Musaki said, happily.

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><p>They made it! Wonder how the rest of the trip will go? Next up, we meet the relatives!<p> 


	4. Meet the Relatives

And Arizona meets Musaki's relatives for the first time. Let's see how Arizona and the others interact with them.

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><p>Chapter 4: Meet the Relatives<p>

Seeing Musaki's grandparents for the first time made Arizona feel completely nervous and a little intimidating because he's not sure what to make of it. After Musaki hugged them, he turns around and sees Arizona being a little distant from them. He walks over to him, puts his hand on his shoulder and assured him that they're cool.

Arizona reluctantly follows him and when he met his grandparents, he seemed to be a little bit fearful inside. Musaki chuckled softly and he said, "Grandma, grandpa, this is my friend Arizona."

The young wolf let out a small gulp and he looked at his grandfather straight in the eye and he said, "Nice to meet you, sir."

Oak Sung smiled at him and lets out a friendly laugh and said, "Welcome to Shanghai Secluded Valley. Any friend of Xing-Fu is welcome here."

Suddenly his nervousness slowly faded away and was replaced with confidence and he tells him, "Thanks. This is actually the first time I've ever come here and to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving here...makes me feel honored to be here."

"I'm glad you feel that way." Musaki's grandmother added.

Soon, Zeke brought in Ruiz, Shing and Kazuo along with them and he introduced them to his grandparents as well and they were deeply honored to meet them and asked if they could see the entire village. They all were very ecstatic about going there and as they ventured off, Musaki let a huge grin on his face and told Arizona, "What did I tell you? They're really nice people."

Arizona chuckled softly and told him, "Yeah, you're right. I don't know why I was so nervous to begin with."

"Once we get to the town, your breath will be taken away."

Not long, they reached the town and the entire gang was blown away by how it looks and it was like nothing they've ever seen before and Arizona could savor this moment as this is definitely something outside of his element that he's never seen before in his life. He lets out a huge gasp and he said, "This is amazing."

Soon enough, it wasn't long before any of the residents saw Musaki walking by and everyone greeted him as they pass by and Arizona looked a little curious to know why they know him. He asked, "How does everyone know you?"

"Mostly because they know my parents." Musaki answered.

Then, Musaki sees his cousin Kato running behind him and that made him excited as Kato came in for a hug and he asked, "How ya been?"

"Pretty awesome. You?" asked Musaki.

"I didn't know you'd actually come, but I'm glad you did. This is gonna be a great Thanksgiving!" Kato exclaimed.

Musaki laughs heartily and said, "I know, right? I'm like definitely excited."

Then, Kato sees Zeke and gives him a handshake and a hug as well as they both started talking and then Kato looks over and he sees Arizona for the first time and he asked, "Friend of yours?"

Musaki walks towards Arizona and he said, "This is my friend, Arizona. Zona, this is my cousin Kato."

Kato shakes his hand and he happily said, "Nice to meet you, man."

"Same here, dude." Arizona replied.

"And these are my other friends; Ruiz, Kazuo and Shing."

Kato was blown away by how many guests he brought in and he asked, "You got them here?"

"Pretty much." Musaki replied.

"We don't have to be like...formal or anything, do we?" asked Ruiz.

Oak Sung chuckled heartily and he replied, "We just come as we are. Every year, we all come together as one and just enjoy each other's company, eat great food and give thanks for everything in our lives."

"But mostly for family." Mako added.

Arizona chuckled softly and he also told Oak Sung, "Musaki told me that there are wolves living here. Is this true?"

"It most certainly is." Oak Sung replied.

"Speaking of that, how's Shin Hai doing?" asked Musaki.

His grandmother let out a little smile and she replied, "He's doing well actually. When I told him you might come for the holiday, he was ecstatic about it."

That comment made him feel excited to see him and he asked, "Where is he, actually?"

"He should be at my place. He's pretty much staying over with his kids and everything." Oak Sung added.

Minutes later, they headed to the house and Oak Sung sees Shin Hai just sitting out there, feeling the wind blowing out of his fur and he said, "Resting a little?"

Shin Hai looks up and sees Oak Sung coming up and he lets out a small chuckle and replied, "Just came for some air."

"Well, it's a good time for that too because we brought in a guest."

Shin Hai stands up and then Musaki comes over and he said, "How ya been?"

Looking at Musaki made Shin Hai really surprised and happy at the same time and starts laughing and he said, "How's my buddy doing?"

"Just great. I came here to celebrate Thanksgiving for the first time."

Shin Hai chuckled and he said, "This is really great. You here for Thanksgiving has made me start off the holiday really well."

Zeke came over to say hi to Shin Hai and it ends up getting a huge hug and a noogie from him. He then sees Arizona and the others come in and he asked, "Who are they?"

"These are our Xing-Fu's guests." Oak Sung replied.

"These are-Arizona, Kazuo, Ruiz and Shing." Musaki added.

Arizona looked at Shin Hai and they see that they look like each other, which made Arizona a little nervous. He chuckled softly and asked, "You're not gonna hurt me, are you?"

"Of course not. I'm totally cool." Shin Hai replied.

"It's great to have you here, Musaki." Kato added.

"It's great to be here."

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><p>Next stop..a tour of Shanghai Secluded Valley! And on the next chapter, a little family history with Musaki's dad that almost everyone knows about. Might surprise ya.<p> 


	5. Words About Musaki's Dad

And we learn a little bit about Musaki's parentage a little. This is where it gets a little heartfelt.

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><p>Chapter 5: Words About Musaki's Dad<p>

Shortly thereafter, everyone walks around the corners of Shanghai Secluded Valley where Arizona sees everything from there and that he's never been to any place like it for the first time. He takes in the beauty and the amazing sights of the city much different from the Valley of Peace. He widened his eyes and said, "Whoa...this is definitely the most awesome place that I've ever been."

Musaki turns around and lets out a small chuckle and said, "This was my old home and it's been my home away from my current home whenever I get the chance or if it's a special occasion."

As they were walking, Oak Sung stopped for a minute and sees the statue of Musaki's dad and when everyone else looked at it, everyone-except for Musaki and Zeke-were surprised that he would be remembered for his personality. Ruiz looked up and he asked, "Is that your dad?"

"That's him." Musaki answered.

Oak Sung sighed softly and he turned to everyone else and said, "We made this statue just a year after his father died and he could've been the leader of this entire Valley. He was really ready to take on all the responsibilites and everything that he saw me do...and that one day, he might've passed it to my grandson."

Musaki was surprised, but not so much about his father's aspirations for being the leader of the Valley and that made Max a little curious about it. He asked, "How come myour father wanted you to be the leader?"

"According to legend, when one family member of ours either retires or dies from being the leader, one must take his or her place to continue making the Valley safe and peaceful from outside danger. It's like the Valley of Peace, but much more so than that."

Max was blown away by what Musaki said and he let out a big, "Wow..."

Oak Sung then took a look at Max and when he saw him for the first time, he was anxious to know who he is. Max felt a little shy around him and when Oak Sung got down to his level, he patted his head and asked, "Who are you, little guy?"

Max let out a big swallow and he nervously said, "I'm...I'm Max."

"What a great name." Oak Sung said, happily.

Mako went up to him and he told him, "I adopted him about three months ago and he fits in with us really well."

Oak Sung chuckled softly at his younger son about taking in so many kids and he said, "Always wanted a bigger family."

"Well, now it's growing. I got two new sons-Gabe and Marcus." Mako said, then called them over to introduce them in him.

When Gabe and Marcus came out, Oak Sung let out a welcome hug and his wife kissed them in the cheek, which made both of them a little uneasy, but welcomed at the same time. Gabe chuckled softly and he said, "Nice to meet you guys."

"Same here." Musaki's grandmother said.

Suddenly, Arizona sees a Japanese sign of Musaki's paw and he also sees it on his father's paw too and he was curious to know what it meant. He asked, "Why do you have that on your paw?"

Musaki looked at his paw and he sees the sign there and he answered, "It's Kibou."

"Ki-what?" asked Arizona, in a confused tone.

"Kibou means 'hope' 'wish' or 'aspiration' in Japanese. I kinda inherited these things from him when I was just a baby cub." Musaki replied.

Arizona was surprised to know that his father had a Japanese heritage and he asked, "So...you're Japanese too?"

"Only on my dad's side. I'm Chinese on my mom's side too."

Shin Hai stepped in on the conversation and he said, "Your dad's a really great philosopher. It's like he gives so much advice on life in particular and in the slightest way, you never know what kind of problem you were facing and he always gets to the root of the problem with an answer no one knows, but always felt in that time period. Even in a young age, he's wise. Whenever I have a problem, I would always go to him for anything. It's like he's my brother and father all wrapped into one."

Arizona wanted to ask him a question about it and he also asked, "Whatever happened to him?"

Both Shin Hai and Musaki knew what that meant and Musaki kinda sighed heavily and turned away for a little and he added, "That's something I really don't like to talk about."

Oak Sung could see that the subject would still be too painful for him and he answered, "This figure named Tai Lung killed both my son and my daughter-in-law."

Arizona never thought that soemthing like this would happen and he felt like maybe he should've asked him that question because it was still hard to talk about. He looked at Musaki and he said, "Sorry I brought it up."

Musaki let out another heavy sigh and replied, "It's okay. It's been 14 years and it's still a hard subject to even look back on."

"It's still a wound to our hearts and we still have to live with it everyday." his grandmother said.

Shin Hai got a little misty-eyed and let out a small growl and he said, "If he was still alive, I would personally kill him to avenge my best friend."

Oak Sung sees small rage coming out of him and he told him, "It will not solve anything nor will it help get him back."

Shin Hai eventually calmed down a little and he said, "You're right. Xing-Fu, I don't blame you for not talking about it either."

"Same here."

Shing didn't understand why he called him 'Xing-Fu' and he asked him, "Why'd you name him 'Xing-Fu'? I thought his name was Musaki."

"Xing-Fu's a part of my birth name. It's chinese for 'Happiness'. My mom came up with it as well as Musaki and my dad would call me that name and everyone else around here too." Musaki explained.

"Wow, really?" Kazuo asked.

"Ask anyone here and they'll tell you. My full name consists of Chinese and Japanese."

"So's mine." Zeke answered.

"In which my full name goes as follows; Xing-Fu Musaki Ko-Kanji Bushido Akio-Meng Cheng Xi-Wang."

Arizona, Ruiz, Shing and Kazuo were still stunned with the fact that his full name was so long and Ruiz said, "Even if I say it more than once, I'll still be tongue twisted."

Suddenly, Max wanders off in some parts of the Valley and just then, he hears someone growling there. He seemed a little afraid and tries to walk back, but he was pounced by a wolf and he slammed him down to the floor and asked, "Who are you and what are you doing in our turf?"

Max was frightened to the core and he said, "I was just wandering around and-"

The wolf growls at him and said, in a menacing voice, "You made a big mistake!"

"I-I-I'm sorry!"

"SHUT UP! Now...you'll receive the full penalty!"

The wolf raises his claws at him to scratch him, making Max scream in terror until another one pounced at him, which made Max break free and he sees Arizona attacking him.

Max started panting heavily and then some other wolves came by surrounding them and one actually went up to him and he said, "Seriously, Toboe?"

"This kid trespassed our turf!" Toboe barked.

The wolf looked at him and sees that it's just a small frightened tiger cub and he looked at him and said, "That's just a kid, dude!"

He went up to him, sniffed him to see if there's any blood and he was clear. He went up to him and said, "You'll have to excuse Toboe. He doesn't take kindly to strangers."

Arizona went up to Max and he asked, "Are you okay, Max?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Max replied, shaken up.

"Hey, I'm Kiba. I'm the leader of this pack. I'm really sorry about this."

Arizona panted heavily and he replied, "It's fine."

Then, two other wolves came by and Kiba introduced Tsume and Hige to them. Then, Musaki and the others came by to see what all the fuss is about and they see Max looking okay and stuff. Kiba went into an overdrive joy when he sees Musaki there and hugged him tightly.

"How ya been, Saki-boy?" asked Kiba.

Musaki sighed heavily and replied, "Great as ever. Just coming here for Thanksgiving."

"And you just got here?" asked Hige.

"Yep."

Musaki looked at Toboe and he rolled his eyes and replied, "I see you met my new cousin, huh?"

"This tiger cub-is your cousin?" asked Toboe.

"Yeah, this is Max."

Then, Toboe looked at Arizona and he asked, "Is he his brother?"

Arizona scoffed heavily and replied, "Just friends, but we're like brothers in a sense. I'm Arizona, by the way."

"You guys live here?" asked Shing.

"Time to time." Kiba replied.

Shin Hai chuckled and he said, "They're excellent members of our pack even though they are their own pack, but they fit in with us pretty well."

Oak Sung looked at Musaki and asked, "How is everything with the kung-fu masters?"

"Great, actually. They're doing just fine."

Everyone started talking to each other and they continued to make their way to the tour of Shanghai Secluded Valley and Musaki knows that this is gonna be a great Thanksgiving.

* * *

><p>Awesome, huh? Bet it's hard to say Musaki's full name three times. As for the four wolves; this is dedicated to my awesome friend, vampire1031.<p>

Here are some meanings to his full name:Xing-Fu: joyful, happiness;(Chinese) Ko: light, peace; Kanji: innocence; Bushido: way of the warrior; Akio: glorious hero;(all Japanese), Cheng: accomplished; Meng: spiritual (or something like that), Xi-Wang: joyful, happiness (all Chinese).

That's a long amount of names. Anyways, there's more coming up! Happy Thanksgiving!


	6. About Their Backgrounds

Here is one point in the chapter where Oak Sung gets to know a little more about Arizona. I just thought I would put it out there just before the huge feast.

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: About Their Backgrounds<p>

As the evening comes in, Musaki went to his grandparents' house along with the others to see where they're gonna sleep. Luckily for them, they have several guest rooms and Musaki, Arizona and Max had separate beds where they can sleep in. As soon as they got settled, they started talking to each other.

Musaki chuckled softly and he asked, "So how'd you like them?"

Arizona actually felt like he was welcomed there and he said, "Your grandfather's really amazing. I've never met anyone like him before."

"Like I told you, my relatives are super-awesome."

Max went over to him and he asked, "But why did you forget about them?"

Musaki took a deep breath and explained everything about what happened that day when Tai Lung killed his parents and how his memories about his relatives were forgotten because of that ordeal and Arizona felt sorry for him and Max didn't quite know what to say about it.

"Wow. That's a long time to regain those memories." Max added, in awe.

"But hey, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. If my parents didn't save my life that day, this never would've been possible." Musaki replied happily.

Arizona was still a little worried about what will his grandfather think of him about his past and he just laid down on his back, trying not to let that get in his head. Musaki knew that there was something wrong with him and is still worried about what might happen and he sensed that it was about his grandfather and he said, "If it's bugging you that much, you can talk to my grandfather about it. He's a very understanding person."

"I really hope so I'm just worried that I might be judged." Arizona added.

"My grandfather would never judge anyone that he doesn't know. He treats them the same way he treats us; like family."

Arizona was hopefuly but still nervous about it, thinking that it might not be a possibility. He turns himself away from Musaki and just laid there, groaning in sorrow and covered his eyes to prevent his emotional fear. Max sees him feeling troubled and he decides to just give him some comfort to let him know that he's not alone and he went to his bedside and just puts his hand on his arm and when Arizona looks up, he could Max's comforting paw and he lets out a small purr and Arizona immediately hugged him tightly and he whispered, "You always know how to make me feel better, do ya?"

"You did the same thing for me as I will for you." Max said, happily.

Arizona just looks at him and that put a smile on his face, knowing that everything will be okay. Musaki could feel the love growing around both of them and it's like that friendship will never go away.

"You know, we should get some sleep. A few days until Thanksgiving heads our way, guys." Musaki said.

Everyone agreed and once they got on their beds, they fell asleep as quickly as possible. Musaki was excited to know that tomorrow will be another great day to spend with his relatives.

The next day comes along and Arizona was just wandering around parts of the house and then, he sees Oak Sung just meditating away. He's hoping that he doesn't bother him as much, but he could tell that he's behind him. He chuckled and asked, "Would you like to join in?"

Arizona was surprised that Oak Sung didn't even open his eyes and looked behind to see it was him. It was like what Shifu would do and he answered in a nervous tone, "Sure."

Soon enough, he sat down on the ground with his knees crossed and taking in deep breaths. Arizona felt like he can gather some peaceful thoughts for once and just let it flow through.

Minutes later, Oak Sung opened his eyes and sees Arizona in a meditating position and he said, with a chuckle, "Learned that from my grandson, I see."

Arizona opened his eyes and let out a smile and told him, "Your grandson's like the coolest person I know."

Oak Sung stretches himself and then asked, "How did you two meet?"

Arizona sighed heavily and he expected that question to come up. He cleared his throat and said, "Well, I was in Kong Wolf City, feeling like I was suffocated into my so-called 'uncle's' castle for a long time where I've been tortured, hated, rejected, molested and things like that. Then, Musaki came into my life and he said that he came to just get me out of there and bring me back to the Valley of Peace. The memories of Dai Ling is very hard to get over, but Musaki was the one to help me get see another side of the world that I've been supposedly 'shut away' from. He would defend me and just do anything for me and I've never met anyone like him before. He basically just rescued me from a world of misery...and I'll never thank him enough for that."

Oak Sung could see that his grandson's selfless ways made an impact on the young wolf and he said, "He got that from his father, I see. I always expected Xing-Fu to put others first before himself and from what I heard from you, I can tell that it shows."

"I could never thank him enough that day and I owe him my life." Arizona added.

"There is an old saying; when one plans to give his life to one person, he will live a thousand years or longer and that's where friendship will never go away."

Hearing one of his philosophies made Arizona feel like he can go that extra mile to give his life for Musaki if anything goes downhill. He chuckled and said, "You're very lucky to have him as a grandson."

Oak Sung chuckled and he said, "He's a blessing to all of us."

Meanwhile, Musaki went alongside Shin Hai, Ruiz, Zeke and Max on their way to get some food for Thanksgiving. Shin Hai was a little curious to know more about Max and he asked, "So, kid. What do I need to know about you?"

Max didn't know if he was talking to him or someone else and asked, "Who, me?"

"Yeah, you."

Max answered, "Well, I was adopted by my dad several months ago and I had more brothers and sisters outside of my kind and I felt like this was a great family to be in...more so than my own. My mother...she's a very evil person and she would just molest me and just do sort of terrible things to me."

"Like what?"

Max figured that the subject would be too painful and sensitive to even bring up for discussion. Musaki looked at him and then whispered everything into Shin Hai's ear and his reaction was completely stunning. He looked at Max and he felt a little rage growing in him and he said, "Man, that's rough. No kid shouldn't have to go through things like that."

"No one ever does." Ruiz answered.

"Arizona pretty much slaughtered her just to protect Max a few weeks ago." Musaki added.

"Did he really?" asked Shin Hai.

"Yeah, he did."

Shin Hai chuckled softly and he said, "That's a good friend. You ever celebrated Thanksgiving before?"

"Never." Max added.

"Well, after this, you won't say that anymore."

When they got to the store, they got pretty much everything for the occasion and later on, they brought it all back to Oak Sung's place and Shin Hai said, "So...this is what you want us to bring?"

"Yes, thank you very much." Oak Sung replied.

"Sounds like this is gonna be a great thanksgiving." Zeke added.

"Oh yeah it will."

As the next day came along, everyone in the entire Valley is getting ready for the most amazing celebration they ever wanted to celebrate. More family members from Musaki's parents' side came over and when they saw Musaki, they were definitely excited to meet him for the first time.

Arizona sees how many relatives he has met and is surprised at how much they're growing. He chuckled softly and said to himself, "Big family."

Then, Kato comes behind Arizona and he said, "When you get a minute, I want you guys to see the best part of living in this Valley."

"Sure thing."

Several minutes later, Kato brought along Musaki, Zeke, Arizona, Shing, Kazuo, Ruiz and Max over to this mountain near the edge of Shanghai Secluded Valley and once they reached the top, Arizona was blown away by what he saw for the first time.

He looked at the stunning view of the mountains, rivers and parts of the village in a goreous sunset. He chuckled and said, "Wow. This is amazing."

"Isn't that awesome?" asked Musaki.

"I'll say. 'Awesome' is an understatement."

They all sat down and took in the natural beauty of this atmosphere. Musaki sighed heavily and he said, "Man, if I had lived here..."

Kato looks at Arizona and he said, "Oak Sung told me everything about you and you consider Musaki as your best friend?"

"Of course. He's always been there for me from day one. It's like...this guy just came in out of freakin' nowhere and just saved my life basically." Arizona explained.

"You know you never told me that before."

Musaki chuckled softly and asked, "Was I supposed to? I'll be honest-solo missions are never easy. They're totally dangerous. It's one thing when you're with the China's awesome kung-fu masters and one Dragon Warrior, but it's another when you go at it alone and from what Shifu tells me, he was right."

Arizona looked at Musaki and he said, "But it was all worth it in the end."

"Yep."

Shing looks over and he feels some wind blowing through his mane and all over his fur and he said, "I could get used to this amazing view."

"It's like I can't take my eyes off it for some reason" Kazuo added.

Kato looks at Max and just sees only the sunset and he asked, "I guess you're one of us now, huh?"

"What do you mean?" asked Max.

"Your dad like took you in and once you're a part of our family, it's an awesome feeling having new members here."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

Ruiz asked Kato, "How often you come here?"

"Every occasion...just to have some space, cooling down if I'm angry or just to get away. Like rain or shine, day or night, whatever keeps me in the mood."

"It's like a lot cooler than the Sacred Peach tree in the Jade Palace."

Kato chuckled softly and he turned to Musaki and said, "This is gonna be a great Thanksgiving."

"I was just about to say the same thing."

* * *

><p>Next chapter, it's Thanksgiving time! Hope you guys had an awesome Black Friday.<p> 


	7. What We're Thankful For

The thanksgiving ceremony has arrived!

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: What We're Thankful For<p>

Thanksgiving day arrives and everyone in Shanghai Secluded Valley is getting set up for the holiday with preparation for this traditional feast. It was a moment that Musaki and Arizona can savor because both of them were really stoked up about this occasion. They were walking towards the corners of the town along with Kato and Musaki was curious to know what normally happens there.

"So...what do you guys normally do here on this occasion?" asked Musaki.

Kato looked at Musaki and he was excited to tell them about the tradition and he said, "Every year, we gather around Oak Sung's village and on a celebration like this, they seat and serve around 400 or 500 people who come here with their families, have this ginormous feast and then we go around the table saying what we're thankful for and things like that."

Both Musaki and Arizona had their jaws dropped in shock and amazement for those kinds of things and they said, in unison, "Wow..."

"That's a big feast." Arizona said, in awe.

"Yeah, I'll say. If Po was here, he'd go bat-food crazy with all the food you guys serve." Musaki added.

Kato chuckled softly and he said, "It's a good thing you didn't bring him here for that."

They soon met up with Kiba and Shin Hai, just passing along and they said 'hello' to each other and Shin Hai was just ecstatic that Musaki would be there to see this and he told him, "Hey, Xing-Fu. It's really great that you're actually here to be a part of this festive occasion."

"We're family." Musaki said, with a smile.

They then walked all the way back to the house and when they arrived, they saw in their eyes...more than 500 people came along for this occasion making Arizona and Musaki even more amazed at how many people actually showed up for this and then, Oak Sung came towards them and he said, "Great timing, Xing-Fu."

Both of them walked around, trying to find their seats and Musaki's grandmother sees them and she told them to sit between Oak Sung and Musaki sees that there are a lot more relatives that he never fully knew before and even that was nerve-wracking for him. Oak Sung walked behind him and he said, "Those people...are your relatives. Most of them are from Japan and I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see that you're here."

Musaki chuckles softly and he said, "No problem there."

Soon after, Oak Sung took a seat and he caught everyone's attention and he clears his throat and said, "I'd like to welcome you all to our traditonal Thanksgiving feast. Now as we all know, we celebrate every year to see our families and for what we are thankful for. Over the years, you all remember my son; Sakamoto..."

"Sakamoto, may he rest in peace." the crowd answered.

"...and how tragic it was that we had to lose him. He loved this holiday so much that he would hope to share that experience with his children. This year, I am more than happy to say this is gonna be different...because my grandsons are now joining us for the very first time since we lost both of them. You all may remember Ezekiel Zahou Bushido Akio-Meng."

Zeke stood up and he said 'hello' to everyone here and he felt a little nervous, but excited at the same time.

Oak Sung chuckled softly and then he looked at Musaki for a minute and also said, "And it gives me great honor to welcome back my other grandson-Xing-Fu Musaki Ko-Kanji Bushido Akio-Meng Cheng Xi-Wang."

Musaki also stood up and everyone stood up as well and bowed to him in honor. It was unexpected for him and he felt like this was the most honorably welcome he's ever gotten. He chuckled softly and said, "Hi, everyone. This is the first time I'm seeing you guys here and...this is the first time I met some relatives that I never even knew. But I'm really honored to be here today."

"So are we." the crowd added, then took a seat.

Musaki sat down as well and then, Oak Sung introduced some of Musaki's guests; Arizona, Shing, Kazuo and Ruiz there and Mako's new adopted kids; Max, Gabe and Marcus and they did a traditonal welcome to the family ritual where they put a necklace around their necks with a symbol of yin and yang and Oak Sung does a traditional Japanese chant symboling that they're welcome into the family.

"You are officially a Bushido Akio-Meng family member." Oak Sung said, happily.

"Thank you." they said, in unison.

"Now...let us feast!"

Before long, everyone starts feasting away, eating everything in handsight; from veggies, noodles, dumplings and any other food they served and Musaki definitely felt he was honored already and Arizona felt like he was glad to be a part of this family tradition, despite his different species and all.

Musaki chatted with some of his other cousins that he met and also about living in the Jade Palace with the famed kung-fu students, which piqued their interest.

"No way...you live with them?" one panda asked.

"I do...for 3 years." Musaki replied.

"Man...I wish I would live in a place like that." another one said.

Everyone was enjoying themselves and a few minutes later, Oak Sung stood up and the crowd immediately went silent to see what he's gonna do next. He clears his throat and he said, "I trust that we are enjoying ourselves. Now it's the best time to give thanks on what we're thankful for."

Everyone was ready to hear what everyone's grateful for and Oak Sung was the first one to start it off. He said, "I am very thankful for all of you coming here to celebrate this occasion every year and to my family who's been giving tons of love for all of us every year even after the death of my son, but what I am most thankful for is that chance that I got to see my grandsons standing here today, experiencing this experience that is just wonderful to just share it...hopefully with his children one day. I can still remember when he was just the smallest baby cub that was always a dad's boy, but now I see that one day he's grown up and has been matured into a young man that I knew he would be. Those kung-fu masters must've kept him under tight control."

Musaki started laughing at that and he was also very happy to hear that he's experiencing this moment and Oak Sung looked at him and he said, "I'm very proud that you're my grandson."

"Not as proud as I am that you're my grandfather."

"Thank you, Xing-Fu."

Later on, everyone went around the table giving thanks to the people in their lives every year and for Arizona, he knew he had a lot to be thankful for-Musaki rescuing him out of Dai Ling's clutches, being his first best friend and also for giving him a new life that's full of positivity and making friends along the way. The young wolf felt overwhelmed with so much joy that he just tried to cover himself from breaking down.

When it was Musaki's turn to say thanks for anything, Arizona knew he wanted to listen to what he had to say.

Musaki stood up, cleared his throat and he said, "There's not really much to say, but what the heck? I'll say it anyway. I'm just thankful for everything that's been in my life for the past 3 years. I'm thankful for my adopted family-the world-famous kung-fu masters for taking me in under their wing. Shifu and Po, I'm thankful for them because they're like my mentors and mostly importantly like the father/big brother figure I never had in my life. The Five; I'd say we've got a strong bond that would never break apart. I guess my personality made an effect on them and how I'm so selfless and caring and really like the little brother they never had in the first place. My grandparents-to think I have forgotten you guys since my parents died and I ended up in an orphanage for 10 years. It would've been awesome if you guys would've took me in. Everyone in Shanghai Secluded Valley, I'm thankful for because you guys never forgot about me. My parents for watching over me as I live out my dream of doing kung-fu. My friends; especially Arizona because he's an awesome person and one that I can call my best friend. I would do anything for him as he would do the same for me. I'm just thankful to be here period and I hope I can share this experience with my own family someday."

The crowd was flooded with a huge amount of emotion on Musaki's words and Arizona felt a huge wave of emotion all over him and he stood up and said, "I kinda want to...take a minute to give my share of what I'm thankful for. I'm just thankful for Musaki for being the one who just put his life for me after we defeated Dai Ling together and also for getting me out of his prison that locked me inside for years. I couldn't have asked for a better friend than anything. You just made a young wolf...feel really happy for the first time in years...and I can never say thank you enough for it."

Arizona immediately came to Musaki and hugged him tightly. Musaki definitely felt the love all over and everyone in the crowd couldn't help but feel happy about this. Oak Sung never knew how much their friendship grew stronger, but he knew that the same selfless feeling came from his son.

He chuckled and he said, "Just like his father."

Hours later, Arizona was sitting on the hill of the mountain at night watching the half moon and he felt the wind blowing through his face and he knew that that day was like an eye-opening experience for him to witness.

Then, Shin Hai walks towards the mountain and he said, "Kinda lonely here tonight."

Arizona turns around and he sees Shin Hai standing there and he sat down next to him and he said, "How'd you find me?"

"The same way I always come every night whenever there's something on my mind. You know, I never knew Xing-Fu would be that kind of a friend to you. He reminds me of his dad...how much he cares for someone like me." Shin Hai said.

"How'd you guys get to be friends?"

"I was young and I felt like the world doesn't understand me and I just wanted to just run away from it...until this guy found me one day in a forest and I felt like he was gonna attack me and what caught me by surprise is that he's a panda. I've never seen one like him before and he was just there to see the real me come out and before long, we were friends. One day, I wandered around the valely and some idiots were just giving him a hard time because he has a Japanese heritage and that was uncalled for. I always thought wolves would be mistreated, but not others. Since that day, we've become friends until the end."

Arizona was blown away by his story and he said, "I guess Musaki's the same way too."

"You guys' friendship will last forever. I can tell."

"I'm just lucky to have a friend like him."

* * *

><p>Awesome holiday for them! Two more chapters on the way! Also, if you saw 'Legends of Awesomeness' earlier tonight, which episodes are your favorites? Mine is 'Owl Be Back.' Pretty cool!<p> 


	8. Brotherhood Between a Wolf and a Tiger

I decided to thrown in a Max and Arizona moment before I end this story. This one's for you, Nightfuryx.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Brotherhood Between a Wolf and a Tiger<p>

A few days have passed by after Thanksgiving and Musaki, Arizona and the others were having oodles of fun at Shanghai Secluded Valley along with his cousins and they did everything together from practicing kung-fu to joking around and just enjoying each other's company.

Soon enough, Arizona realizes the importance of family and as he observes how Musaki had lots of love for his relatives, he felt like he's one of them, because they're really that awesome and how he hopes that he wants to be like him one of those days.

He lies down on the grass near Oak Sung's house, just looking at the clouds for a minute and then Max joins in as well, which made Arizona feel more joyful than ever to have his tiger brother by his side. Max looks at Arizona and asked, "Does that cloud look like a sword?"

Arizona looks at the cloud and to his surprise, it does look like a sword and he said, "Yeah, it does."

Max chuckled softly and he said, "This was so much fun just to see what it's like. I've never participated in something like this before."

"Me neither." Arizona agreed.

"Most times, I would just be in the orphanage, just hiding from others because most of them say that no one will adopt someone like me. It really hurts my feelings and I spend the holidays just alone in my room, isolating myself from the others because they just don't like me...and I don't know why."

Arizona could feel Max's hurt because he felt the same way too...only much more worse than that and he said, "I guess our hearts bleed for each other because we experienced what it's like when no one accepts you for who you are and we feel nothing but misery. It feels like we have a lot in common together than I thought."

Max let out a smile and he asked, "Why do you look up to me as a big brother?"

"Maybe it's because we both have been through so much crap before we met each other, but the moment you told me you were molested and rejected, I just told myself that if I ever get myself free from that stupid prison, I would never let anyone mistreat any kid that I saw...and I kept that promise since then. If I were to put my life for you, I'd completely call myself a true warrior and a great protector."

That made Max feel like he could rely on Arizona for anything and he told him, "I'm really glad that you're like a brother to me."

"Me too." he replied, chuckling.

Arizona hugged him tightly and Max let out a gentle purr and Arizona whispered to him, "No matter what, I promise I will never let anyone hurt you and I'll always be here to protect you."

"You promise?" Max asked.

"I promise."

After the hug, Max reached into his pocket and out comes a necklace with a yin symbol and gives it to Arizona and while he puts it on his neck, Max wore a yang symbol around his neck and Arizona immediately knew what it meant. He chuckled softly and he said, "Yin and Yang?"

"Yep. We're opposites, but we're all the same." Max answered.

That made Arizona feel happy to know that he cares that much for him and he was at a loss for words and he said, "Thanks, buddy."

"You're welcome...best buddy."

They both gave each other a knuckle touch as they continued watching the clouds together and Max said, "I wish we didn't have to leave tomorrow."

"I know, neither do I. The people here are really cool and friendly here...and Musaki's relatives are so amazing. It kinda makes me feel like I'm part of their family." Arizona answered.

"Yeah, I know."

Both of them knew that they were gonna go back to the Valley of Peace tomorrow and they were just planning to enjoy their final day as much as they can.

* * *

><p>Sorry if this was short, but wasn't it heartfelt? Next chapter is the last one!<p> 


	9. Back to the Valley of Peace

And here's where we end this story.

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Back to the Valley of Peace<p>

The next day comes along and Musaki and the crew were ready to go back home and everyone in Shanghai Secluded Valley decided to come and say their goodbyes to him and his friends. Oak Sung came to Musaki and he said, "Thank you for coming over to celebrate with us."

"Thank you very much for inviting me." Musaki added.

He reached out to his grandparents and gave them a huge hug and he said, "I love you guys."

"We love you too, Xing-Fu." his grandmother said.

Arizona went next and he looked at Oak Sung in the eye and he said, "It was really great to meet you, sir."

"Any friend of our Xing-Fu is a family member of ours." Oak Sung added.

That really made Arizona feel like he's really appreciated that he's part of Musaki's family and he smiled at them and he said, "Thank you."

Oak Sung rubbed his spiky mohawk and he told him, "You can visit here anytime you want."

Arizona definitely felt excited to be able to come back to Shanghai Secluded Valley to see Musaki's relatives again and he told him, "That'd be great."

Musaki went to Kato and he said, "If you still wanna come to the Valley of Peace, you know where to find me."

Kato chuckled softly and he said, "The Jade Palace?"

"Where else?" Musaki said, smiling.

Both of them started laughing and they they did their secret handshake and a hug and Kato said, "Have a safe trip back home."

"I will."

Shin Hai went in and hugged Musaki tightly and he said, "Thanks for coming over, kid. It really made the holiday the best one for me making it more awesomer than ever."

Musaki looked at Shin Hai with a smile and he said, "I'm glad I came too."

Then, all of the dragons came towards Shanghai Secluded Valley and Mako and his kids were onboard the dragons and Musaki, Arizona, Zeke, Ruiz, Shing and Kazuo all hopped in there and Musaki took one look at them and gave them a wave.

Everyone waved goodbye to him and as the dragons took off, everyone said their farewells to him and for Musaki, it was a moment that he knows he can savor for the rest of his life and so will Arizona. Arizona looks at Musaki and he said, "You were right. I feel like I'm a part of your relatives."

Musaki chuckled and said, "See, what'd I tell you? As I said, the minute you're in this Valley, you definitely feel like family."

"Guess you're right."

Mako looks up at them and he said, "I'm just gonna drop you guys off at the Jade Palace."

They were surprised to hear that Mako's gonna drop them off at the palace and they're hoping the dragons doesn't scare the villagers from the Valley of Peace away and Musaki said, "Let's just hope it won't be an attack when we get back."

They were flying sky-high going over 300 feet in the air and when they reached the Jade Palace, they knew it was time to head off. Mako told them to get ready to jump and that really took Arizona, Musaki and the others by surprise, but they thought that they should go for it.

As soon as they were ready to jump, Musaki looks back and he said, "Thanks for everything, unc."

Mako chuckled softly and said, "Anything for my nephew."

The dragons stopped mid-way and soon, Musaki and his crew jumped out of the dragons and fell 300 feet below the Jade Palace and when they got there, they landed on the front steps of the courtyard and Musaki landed on Tigress's back. He groans heavily, gets up and he said, "That was fun."

She gets him off of her and stands up, feeling completely shocked and speechless that he came down from the sky. Musaki gets himself up and he sees Mako making a stop for a sec and he said, "Great timing, nephew!"

Musaki gave him a thumbs-up and said, "Thanks again, Mako! See you guys later!"

Mako waves at him and so did his cousins as they took off out of the palace and Tigress stood there, stunned at the fact that his uncle rode a dragon and Musaki looked at her and said, "Surprise!"

She looked at him and she started stammering at what she just witnessed and Musaki could tell that she was in a pure state of shock and he said, "And a welcome back home to you too."

He and the rest went back inside of the bunkhouse to get a few hours rest, leaving Tigress puzzled and she asked, "Did I just see a dragon?"

After that, Musaki was lying on his bed, feeling like his first thanksgiving was the best one he's ever had to be with his relatives and it was definitely the highlight of his moment. Suddenly, he turns around and there's Shifu standing there and he said, "You came back."

Musaki sat up and he said, "Yeah, I came back a few minutes ago."

"I saw the dragon and I didn't think that your uncle would ride in one."

"Sometimes, he uses it for travel."

Shifu took a deep breath and Musaki started explaining everything to him about how he got to participate in something like this and he was happy to hear that he had fun going there. Shifu then asked, "What were you thankful for?"

"Just about everything...including you. I'm grateful that you're like a father to me and although it's not a replacement from my own father, I'm just lucky for you to be the father figure in my life."

Shifu was overwhelmed with emotion from that comment and he told him, "I'm grateful to have you to be your master...my son."

"Me too."

They hugged each other for a minute until they hear someone blowing someone's nose and started crying loudly and they turned around and sees that it was just Po. He said, "That was so beautiful!"

He quickly went over to both of them and hugged them tightly, causing them to almost choke and Shifu punched him in the stomach. He sighed heavily and said, "Panda..."

"Sorry, Shifu." Po said, tearfully.

Musaki chuckled and said, "And I guess you miss me too, huh?"

"A lot, Lil' Saki. What I'm grateful is being your big brother."

"Me too. I'm grateful to be your little brother."

Po suddenly feels like he wants to hug Musaki again, but stopped him short and said, "Dude..."

"Sorry."

"What an awesome thanksgiving."

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><p>And that's it! Thank you guys for giving me the biggest reviews you've ever given me! There will be plenty more new stories I got coming up so stick around!<p> 


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